Cancer cells become susceptible to natural killer cell killing after exposure to histone deacetylase inhibitors due to glycogen synthase kinase-3-dependent expression of MHC class I-related chain A and B.

Søren Skov, Marianne Terndrup Pedersen, Lars Andresen, Per Thor Straten, Anders Woetmann, Niels Odum

207 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We show that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors lead to functional expression of MHC class I-related chain A and B (MICA/B) on cancer cells, making them potent targets for natural killer (NK) cell-mediated killing through a NK group 2, member D (NKG2D) restricted mechanism. Blocking either apoptosis or oxidative stress caused by HDAC inhibitor treatment did not affect MICA/B expression, suggesting involvement of a separate signal pathway not directly coupled to induction of cell death. HDAC inhibitor treatment induced glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) activity and down-regulation of GSK-3 by small interfering RNA or by different inhibitors showed that GSK-3 activity is essential for the induced MICA/B expression. We thus present evidence that cancer cells which survive the direct induction of cell death by HDAC inhibitors become targets for NKG2D-expressing cells like NK cells, gammadelta T cells, and CD8 T cells.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCancer Research
Volume65
Issue number23
Pages (from-to)11136-45
Number of pages9
ISSN0008-5472
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes

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